Josh Bell
@signalbleed.bsky.social
Freelance writer and film/TV critic at KTNV, Tom's Guide, Crooked Marquee, The Inlander, Inverse, Highway Radio, Awesome Movie Year, and more. For hire: signalbleed@gmail.com
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Josh Bell
@signalbleed.bsky.social
· Oct 18
Latest Episodes - Awesome Movie Year
Awesome Movie Year is a podcast where film-critic Josh Bell & comedian Jason Harris take a look at different awesome movie years.
awesomemovieyear.com
Welcome new followers! (And thank you, @bwdr.bsky.social starter pack.) I write about movies and TV for various publications, and I co-host the Awesome Movie Year podcast, taking on a different year in cinema history each season.
Before we start our new season of Awesome Movie Year next week, we have our 2014 bonus episode on Richard Linklater's 'Boyhood' now available for all listeners, after previously being a Patreon exclusive: awesome-movie-year.captivate.fm/episode/boyh...
February 12, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Before we start our new season of Awesome Movie Year next week, we have our 2014 bonus episode on Richard Linklater's 'Boyhood' now available for all listeners, after previously being a Patreon exclusive: awesome-movie-year.captivate.fm/episode/boyh...
I have seen two 'Werthering Heights' jokes on here today, so clearly I am following the right people.
February 10, 2026 at 5:33 AM
I have seen two 'Werthering Heights' jokes on here today, so clearly I am following the right people.
We have a small but dedicated Patreon subscriber base for Awesome Movie Year, and we're rewarding them today with a second bonus episode from our 1971 season, on Clint Eastwood action classic 'Dirty Harry.'
Dirty Harry (Awesome Movie Year 1971 Bonus Episode) | Produced by David Rosen
Get more from Produced by David Rosen on Patreon
www.patreon.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:13 AM
We have a small but dedicated Patreon subscriber base for Awesome Movie Year, and we're rewarding them today with a second bonus episode from our 1971 season, on Clint Eastwood action classic 'Dirty Harry.'
"Meanwhile, in another movie..." I mutter to myself every time I see a jarring onscreen transition.
Does anyone else have an MST3K line they use regularly, even if it makes no sense out of context?
Because I have both "That'll keep your panfish down for a while." and "Come come, boys, we must confound Jerry at every turn!" from MST3K the movie alone.
Because I have both "That'll keep your panfish down for a while." and "Come come, boys, we must confound Jerry at every turn!" from MST3K the movie alone.
February 9, 2026 at 10:24 PM
"Meanwhile, in another movie..." I mutter to myself every time I see a jarring onscreen transition.
Happy to see more people asserting that video podcasts are not podcasts (and this is very good analysis that comes from someone with a broadcasting background).
The dirty little secret is that many podcasts are just (poorly executed) talk shows by another name
The evolution of the podcast is really the de-evolution of not only radio but TV as well
This week's newsletter, with a look at Pete Davidson's new so-called "podcast" for Netflix
The evolution of the podcast is really the de-evolution of not only radio but TV as well
This week's newsletter, with a look at Pete Davidson's new so-called "podcast" for Netflix
The dirty little secret is that many podcasts are just (poorly executed) talk shows by another name
The evolution of the podcast is really the de-evolution of not only radio but TV as well
buttondown.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:24 AM
Happy to see more people asserting that video podcasts are not podcasts (and this is very good analysis that comes from someone with a broadcasting background).
Check out all the great stuff on Awesome Movie Year's shared Patreon with @piecingpod.bsky.social, including a new bonus episode on 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' from our recently concluded 1971 season. We really appreciate our loyal subscribers!
Along with a brand new Awesome Movie Year bonus episode, I just added early access to Piecing It Together episodes on SIRAT, 28YL: THE BONE TEMPLE & SONG SUNG BLUE over on our shared Produced by David Rosen Patreon! Sign up for all of that & lots more exclusive content! www.patreon.com/bydavidrosen
Get more from Produced by David Rosen on Patreon
creating Podcasts and Music
www.patreon.com
February 8, 2026 at 12:45 AM
Check out all the great stuff on Awesome Movie Year's shared Patreon with @piecingpod.bsky.social, including a new bonus episode on 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' from our recently concluded 1971 season. We really appreciate our loyal subscribers!
Some quick thoughts on the mostly dumb teen horror movie 'Whistle' in this week's Highway Radio segment: highwayradio.com/josh-bell-ha...
February 7, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Some quick thoughts on the mostly dumb teen horror movie 'Whistle' in this week's Highway Radio segment: highwayradio.com/josh-bell-ha...
Had a traumatic day, so I came home and watched a shitty '80s slasher movie, then went to a midnight show at the drive-in, because that's my version of self-care.
February 7, 2026 at 10:25 AM
Had a traumatic day, so I came home and watched a shitty '80s slasher movie, then went to a midnight show at the drive-in, because that's my version of self-care.
Cheesy but visually stunning anime saga 'Scarlet' opens tomorrow in Las Vegas at AMC Town Square and Regal Red Rock. My @inlander.com review:
Scarlet turns Hamlet into a grandiose anime fantasy epic
Although Hamnet has been getting all the attention, it’s just one of four cinematic takes on William Shakespeare’s Hamlet that have been playing in theaters and at major film festivals
www.inlander.com
February 5, 2026 at 10:56 PM
Cheesy but visually stunning anime saga 'Scarlet' opens tomorrow in Las Vegas at AMC Town Square and Regal Red Rock. My @inlander.com review:
Our 1971 season of Awesome Movie Year was our longest yet, and there were still tons of interesting movies we didn't cover. We take a look back at our various options, plus get into some social media feedback, in our 1971 epilogue episode: awesome-movie-year.captivate.fm/episode/1971...
February 4, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Our 1971 season of Awesome Movie Year was our longest yet, and there were still tons of interesting movies we didn't cover. We take a look back at our various options, plus get into some social media feedback, in our 1971 epilogue episode: awesome-movie-year.captivate.fm/episode/1971...
Kind of a rough week for movies in the latest VODepths, although it's always nice to hear Melanie Lynskey use her natural Kiwi accent.
VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week — Crooked Marquee
Our mini-reviews of “Grizzly Night,” “The Morrigan,” “Acts of Love” and more of this week’s on-demand treasures and trash.
crookedmarquee.com
February 3, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Kind of a rough week for movies in the latest VODepths, although it's always nice to hear Melanie Lynskey use her natural Kiwi accent.
If I dreamed I rewatched a movie, can I log it on Letterboxd?
February 3, 2026 at 9:26 PM
If I dreamed I rewatched a movie, can I log it on Letterboxd?
Always amusing to watch a movie that goes from "These actors playing brother and sister have too much chemistry" to "Oh wait, this is a story about incest."
January 31, 2026 at 11:23 PM
Always amusing to watch a movie that goes from "These actors playing brother and sister have too much chemistry" to "Oh wait, this is a story about incest."
Watching this movie featuring the now-grizzled Eddie Kaye Thomas from 'American Pie' is what's currently making me feel a million years old.
January 31, 2026 at 5:18 AM
Watching this movie featuring the now-grizzled Eddie Kaye Thomas from 'American Pie' is what's currently making me feel a million years old.
Jason Statham. Action movie. Whadda ya need, a roadmap? My @tomsguide.com review of 'Shelter,' now in theaters:
'Shelter' review: Jason Statham does his Jason Statham thing in a competent action movie
Predictable and familiar — but what more do you want?
www.tomsguide.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:34 PM
Jason Statham. Action movie. Whadda ya need, a roadmap? My @tomsguide.com review of 'Shelter,' now in theaters:
'Send Help' (in theaters starting tonight) is a nasty, fun return to form for Sam Raimi. My @inlander.com review:
Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien are stranded at sea in Sam Raimi’s diabolical <i>Send Help</i>
Sam Raimi’s directing credits have been so sparse in recent years that every movie he makes feels like an event, but a big part of the appeal of his new
www.inlander.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:12 PM
'Send Help' (in theaters starting tonight) is a nasty, fun return to form for Sam Raimi. My @inlander.com review:
I haven't watched every Marvel Cinematic Universe TV show, but of the ones I've seen, 'Wonder Man' (now streaming on Disney+) is definitely the worst. My @inlander.com review:
<i>Wonder Man</i>, the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series, is neither exciting nor funny
At one time, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton was looking to develop a TV series around the character of Trevor Slattery, the hapless
www.inlander.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:43 PM
I haven't watched every Marvel Cinematic Universe TV show, but of the ones I've seen, 'Wonder Man' (now streaming on Disney+) is definitely the worst. My @inlander.com review:
A cool thing about living in a city with a small but passionate film scene is that I can get a press release about a local film fest and discover that my mortgage broker wrote, directed & stars in a feature film. Congrats to Trina Colon for 'Sunny Yard,' premiering at @nwffest.bsky.social in March!
January 29, 2026 at 12:00 AM
A cool thing about living in a city with a small but passionate film scene is that I can get a press release about a local film fest and discover that my mortgage broker wrote, directed & stars in a feature film. Congrats to Trina Colon for 'Sunny Yard,' premiering at @nwffest.bsky.social in March!
Of all the horny lady vampire movies in our Awesome Movie Year 1971 audience choice poll, 'Daughters of Darkness' is one of my least favorite, but that's what we ended up with in this week's episode, and we made the best of it.
Daughters Of Darkness (1971 Audience Choice) - Awesome Movie Year
The finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features our audience choice pick, Harry Kümel’s Daughters of Darkness. Directed and co-written by Harry Kümel and starring Delphine Seyrig, ...
awesomemovieyear.com
January 28, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Of all the horny lady vampire movies in our Awesome Movie Year 1971 audience choice poll, 'Daughters of Darkness' is one of my least favorite, but that's what we ended up with in this week's episode, and we made the best of it.
Let's not kid ourselves; The $53.66 I just received from the Criterion class-action settlement is just going right back to Criterion via streaming subscription and/or Blu-ray purchase. My privacy is easily bought with high-end cinephilia.
January 28, 2026 at 5:13 AM
Let's not kid ourselves; The $53.66 I just received from the Criterion class-action settlement is just going right back to Criterion via streaming subscription and/or Blu-ray purchase. My privacy is easily bought with high-end cinephilia.
Even though I tend to drag my feet on getting it done, reviving my mostly defunct blog for my annual round-up of favorite first-time watches is one of my favorite parts of year-end list-making (and has been since pre-Letterboxd days). Here's my 2025 list:
My top non-2025 movies of 2025
Commentary on movies, TV and comic books by critic Josh Bell.
signalbleed.blogspot.com
January 27, 2026 at 11:29 PM
Even though I tend to drag my feet on getting it done, reviving my mostly defunct blog for my annual round-up of favorite first-time watches is one of my favorite parts of year-end list-making (and has been since pre-Letterboxd days). Here's my 2025 list:
Tax time as a freelancer now means trying to remember logins for various payroll services with names like "Zenworks xForce" that sound like forgotten 1990s Marvel Comics series.
January 27, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Tax time as a freelancer now means trying to remember logins for various payroll services with names like "Zenworks xForce" that sound like forgotten 1990s Marvel Comics series.
For @inverse.com, I celebrated the 10th anniversary of the underrated revival of 'The X-Files.'
10 Years Later, A Divisive Sci-Fi Revival Is Better Than You Remember
The 2016 'X-Files' comeback was far more successful than anyone could have expected.
www.inverse.com
January 25, 2026 at 1:20 AM
For @inverse.com, I celebrated the 10th anniversary of the underrated revival of 'The X-Files.'
I have a lot of affinity for screenlife movies, but I found the bombastic big-budget version in 'Mercy' (now in theaters) pretty dire. My @tomsguide.com review:
#filmsky #moviesky
#filmsky #moviesky
'Mercy' review: Chris Pratt stares at a screen for 90 minutes in this lifeless sci-fi thriller
There's nothing exciting or insightful about this near-future crime thriller starring Pratt as a wrongfully accused murder suspect
www.tomsguide.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:42 PM
I have a lot of affinity for screenlife movies, but I found the bombastic big-budget version in 'Mercy' (now in theaters) pretty dire. My @tomsguide.com review:
#filmsky #moviesky
#filmsky #moviesky
Did Frankie Fane get an Oscar nomination?
January 22, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Did Frankie Fane get an Oscar nomination?